


The Club

by DignityWhatDignity



Category: Disney Cartoons (Classic), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Muppets - All Media Types
Genre: Background Character Death, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25269103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DignityWhatDignity/pseuds/DignityWhatDignity
Summary: When Steve mourns Stan, he is visited by a few people who know just what he's going through.
Relationships: Kermit the Frog & Mickey Mouse, Steve Rogers & Mickey Mouse, Stever Rogers & Kermit the Frog
Kudos: 5





	The Club

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this drawing:  
> https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/e/ef/Mickey_consoles_Kermit_WD_Eye_1990.png/revision/latest?cb=20180404205610 and in memory of Stan Lee.

It was odd, Steve reflected.

He’d lost people before – god, had he ever. But even when he was most gutted – and he’d had both enough distance and enough therapy to admit he’d been suicidal after Bucky’s fall – it hadn’t been like this. Even when Thanos had killed half of all creation, it hadn’t felt like the sun had just gone out. 

Hell, he had barely even known Mr. Lee.

But there it was, and – 

There was a knock on the door.

Steve sighed and stood to open it, wondering which of his teammates was on the other side and what methods of coping or commiserating they had up their sleeves. His money was on alcohol, and not Thor with the good stuff.

Weary, he opened the door without looking through the peephole, which meant it was his own damn fault when he shocked by the sight of his visitors. A mouse and a frog, both oddly anthropomorphized, the frog about half his height and lanky, the mouse a bit shorter and stouter. Both solemn, though they both looked like they were much more used to smiling.

The mouse looked oddly familiar.

“Are you, uh, gentlemen friends of Rocket’s?” he guessed.

The frog pursed his lips – such as they were – as if to keep from laughing. The mouse just smiled a bit, the fond, sad way people do at funerals.

“Not exactly. Can we come in?” the mouse asked.

“Uh, sure. Who are you, exactly?” Steve returned.

“Sorry about that,” the frog responded. “I’m Kermit the Frog. This is my associate, Mickey Mouse.”

Steve blinked. He knew he’d recognized the mouse – Mickey. “But… no offense, but you’re a cartoon.” Something clicked from his catching up on pop culture, and he turned back to Kermit. “And you’re a puppet, right?”

“Strictly speaking, I’m a Muppet. It’s not quite the same thing, but now’s not the time to get into it,” Kermit said. Mickey glared slightly, and Steve got the message – even if he didn’t understand the difference, he’d damn well better respect it.

“And I hate to break it to you,” Mickey added, “But some days, you’re a cartoon, too.”

“Or a comic book, but these days, who isn’t?” Kermit said.

“Right,” Steve said, leading them to his couch. “Can I get you fellas anything to drink? I’ve got coffee if you don’t mind waiting a minute.”

The two visitors accepted coffee, and Steve puttered a moment, making the coffee and serving it in mismatched mugs he’d rescued from Clint. He hoped, at the last second, that they weren’t too raunchy, but Kermit chuckled at his, even as Mickey rolled his eyes.

“So, what can I do for you?” Steve asked once they were all settled.

“Well, Mr. Rogers –”

“Steve, please,” he interrupted Mickey.

“Steve. We’re here because, at least at the moment, you’re both the leader and the most iconic member of your franchise.”

Kermit cleared his throat. “By which he means the Avengers and their, uh, colleagues.”

“Right, sorry, I’m used to people who have no shame about ignoring the fourth wall,” Mickey said, nodding towards Kermit, who briefly smirked at you, the reader.

“You’d think he was the one with a hand up his–” Kermit started, but Mickey elbowed him.

“Anyway. We’re here to, well, welcome you to the club. The ones who have to take charge when the creator dies.”

“Especially now that we’re all under the Disney umbrella,” Kermit added. “I am not looking forward to visiting Skywalker when Lucas passes.”

“Yeah, that’s going the be pretty awkward, given that Luke – wait,” Mickey turned back to Steve. “Have you seen Last Jedi? I don’t want to spoil it.”

“It’s fine, but seriously? What is this about?”

Kermit sighed. “The thing is, I was gutted when Jim died. I didn’t talk for weeks – and not just because Jim gave me my voice. Steve was there to take over, but I just wasn’t ready. And then Mickey showed up.”

“I’d been there,” Mickey continued. “When Mr. Disney passed, it was literally the end of an era. And there’s not many like that. Mr. Henson, Mr. Lucas, your Mr. Lee, Ms. Rowling, a few others. It was so hard to get through it alone, and I decided… we shouldn’t. So I was there for Kermit, and we’re here for you, and we hope you’ll come with us to be there for whoever’s next.”

“But that’s getting ahead of things,” Kermit added. “Right now, the important thing is, well, do you need anything? Is there anything we can do to help? Because like it or not, you’re the one who’s going to have to be there for everyone else.”

Steve sighed. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Does anything help?”

Mickey rested a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Not really. Not right away.”

“Friends,” Kermit said, his own hand on Steve’s other shoulder.

“Yeah, friends,” Mickey acknowledged. “And the work, when you’re ready.”

Steve let out a laugh – a wetter laugh then he expected as he realized he was starting to cry. “Friends and work are how I always get through deaths. Especially since alcohol doesn’t work on me anymore.”

“I can’t recommend that, anyway,” Mickey said.

“I can, but only after 9 PM,” Kermit added.

“Only drink after 9?” Steve asked.

“Oh, no, I’m only allowed to recommend it after 9. Before that, it’s assumed whatever I’m doing is for kids, and we have to be good examples.”

Steve nodded. He’d been there.

–

The three chatted a bit longer, mixing getting-to-know-you small talk with the kind of laugh-through-the-tears stories one pulls out at wakes. But as the evening stretched on, Mickey finally pulled out his phone to check the time.

“We should get going. But here, let me give you our numbers in case you need anything.”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Kermit said. “I’ll start a group text as soon as I get home.”

“That’s great, really. Listen, fellas, this means a lot to me. It’s been great to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Mickey said, reaching up to shake Steve’s hand. “I only wish it could have been under happier circumstances.”

“Because we can’t just meet up at D23 or anything,” Kermit murmured.

“Ignore him. Unless we had flawless cosplay, it could break one or more realities,” Mickey answered.

“Take care of yourself, Steve,” Kermit said, ignoring Mickey.

“You too, thanks,” Steve said. He watched them as they left, then shook his head as he closed and locked the door.

“At least vaudeville never dies…”


End file.
